UAE: Port of Antwerp Wins WPTS World Ports Award

The first WPTS World Ports Award has been presented by H.E. Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansouri Ministry of Economy, UAE to the CEO of the Port of Antwerp during a prestigious gala dinner to celebrate the 2nd World Ports and Trade Summit, held in association with ADPC (Abu Dhabi Ports Company). The award was given to Eddy Bruyninckx, CEO of the Port of Antwerp in recognition of the outstanding job he has done in the Port of Antwerp over a period of 20 years, in the fields of business development, port organisation, sustainability and corporate social responsibility.

Given during a prestigious evening at Abu Dhabi’s new Rocco Forte Hotel, the award signifies the growth of the World Ports and Trade Summit into a truly global event. Taking place until the 4th April at ADNEC, Abu Dhabi, the event has seen some of the industry’s most eminent speakers in town to discuss strategy, global growth and the future of the ports market regionally and internationally.

Receiving the award, Mr Bruyninckx, said: “It is a great honour for the Port of Antwerp to be rewarded with the WPTS World Port Award. We consider this Award as a recognition for the efforts that the Antwerp Port Authority – not only the CEO, but also the management committee and every one of our 1650 colleagues – has done over the past decades to develop the Port of Antwerp as a world class port.

“Even when times were challenging, we stood up and developed, together with the private port companies, a ‘Totalplan for a more competitive port’, as an answer to the worldwide crisis of 2009. We specifically appreciate this consideration from the United Arab Emirates as we have been close partners in many fields in the past. In our joint interests lies also the importance of the economic development of our petrochemical industry and we are very much aware of the UAE’s vision to construct its own world-class downstream petrochemical industry.

“Investments in both regions create a lot of co-operation possibilities and this award to Antwerp shows that our efforts to collaborate and share expertise, together with our daughter company Port of Antwerp International.”

The port of Antwerp is a global player and the second largest port in Europe. It boasts a high level of synergy between maritime, logistical and industrial activities and a high cargo-generating capacity. This multifunctionality delivers high added value for the city, the region and the country. The businesses in the port need highly educated staff, and directly and indirectly create employment for over 147,000 people.

The location of the port of Antwerp, about 80 kilometres inland, not only places the port in one of the busiest consumer centres in Europe, it also makes transport to the European hinterland more efficient and more sustainable.

According to Tony Douglas, CEO of ADPC (Abu Dhabi Ports Company), and a judge on the awards panel: “The ports that were both shortlisted for this new award have shown exemplary levels of achievement, in areas such as technical and operational innovation, port organisation, the development of human resources, social and environmental responsibility, sustainability and corporate social responsibility.

“Mr Bruyninckx’s 20 year ongoing commitment to the Port of Antwerp encompasses all of these factors, including most recently the publishing of the first, unique, Sustainability Report for the port of Antwerp, a ground-breaking report that is available from the port’s website.”

The second World Ports & Trade Summit, held under the patronage of H.H. General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi & Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, takes place from April 2 to 4 in Abu Dhabi and includes 3 days of exhibition, high level conference programme and networking.